Sanderling

Gallery: AvianPosted June 13, 2010290 views21 comments

Calidris alba

Taken last May in FL and I just had not gotten around to posting this yet. Sanderlings do show up at times in Utah, but certainly not in the numbers I was used to seeing in FL. I took them for granted there but won't here.

D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/750, ISO 200, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, image created at 7:52 am, natural light, 64% of the original image. One small black piece of debris cloned away on the right side of the frame just above the OOF white shell. I tried not to include that area but then it felt too tight on the tail for composition. I have provided the larger version for evaluation of sharpness & detail.

As always, I sincerely appreciate your comments & critiques. Thank you for looking.

Comments

21 comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on June 13, 2010 at 5:15 PM

Mia I love the light, reflection low angle and detail. Very nice

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on June 13, 2010 at 5:34 PM

I'm glad you're still finding shots from your Florida days. This is up to your typical high standards. The sanderling appears comfortable with your presence.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on June 13, 2010 at 5:54 PM

Good crisp photo with pleasing BG. Nice detail in the bird, interesting position. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Ron McCombe on June 13, 2010 at 5:55 PM

Lovely image Mia

These are one of my favorite birds

Ron

Registered on November 16, 2009, 190 Posts, 207 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on June 13, 2010 at 7:29 PM

Beautiful image Mia - I think it could use a slight CCW rotation though and maybe the exposure could be toned down over so slightly in ACR

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on June 13, 2010 at 7:33 PM

Certainly a beautiful image, Mia: color, detail, exposure right on as usual. Two things about this image make it different to me: the very abrupt change from OOF to "within focus" transition and the absence of any motion indication (the bird could be stuck in the sand). I'm not sure if these differences are positives or negatives but they did strike me as unusual.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on June 13, 2010 at 7:38 PM

Lovely lighting and angle Mia

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on June 13, 2010 at 8:19 PM

Well captured feeding pose - dof, exposure, focus, low angle - all first rate.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on June 13, 2010 at 8:23 PM

The low angle/DOF combo is very nice here Mia and I really like the lighting. I think you made the right decision - any more off the right would be too much as I think it's just right as it is. Exposure looks spot on to me. Lovely image!

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on June 13, 2010 at 11:01 PM

Looks like you were crawling on your belly again Mia. Great perspective. Good light, catchlight in the eye, super feather detail, and beautifully blurred foreground and background. Not a nit or anything but there is a very small spot about an inch above your logo that is slightly distracting to me. Other than than you nailed this one Mia. Great capture.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by David Sparks on June 13, 2010 at 11:49 PM

Mia:
Great low angle and the colors of the Sanderling really stand out against the blue colors of the water and sky. A terrific capture of the bird in a classic feeding posture. I tend to take these birds for granted too, but they really are very photogenic IMO.

Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on June 14, 2010 at 1:03 AM

I have no shorebird photos even remotely approaching this quality. Love the lighting and crisp details. Like Luke, I also noticed a need for a little bit of rotation, minor detail. (I am really upset about the entire BP fiasco, I hope these beautiful waters will be spared).

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on June 14, 2010 at 2:50 AM

Lovely image, Mia. Your photos are always a lesson!
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on June 14, 2010 at 5:13 AM

Low angle, soft light and excellent techs make for another nice image, Mia.

Sometimes it's hard to freeze these guys when they are in feeding mode.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on June 14, 2010 at 6:43 AM

Nice low angle and detail in the whites Mia

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on June 14, 2010 at 10:48 AM

very nice, Mia. nice details and exposure, agree that it needs a slight rotation. these guys seem to never stop moving, you did a nice job catching this.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Graham Brown on June 14, 2010 at 5:32 PM

Perfect in every way. The OOF foreground works very well. Graham

Registered on November 20, 2007, 275 Posts, 1365 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on June 15, 2010 at 12:19 AM

Several things I like about this photo: first, the bird is relaxed and foraging, seemingly not wary at all. Second, the light is just right, emphasizing the pale tones of the bird while still adding a trace of color. And third, the lens is pretty much at the bird's eye level which gives a sense of intimacy. dd your usual impeccable techs and you've got a killer shot.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on June 15, 2010 at 1:59 AM

Wonderful low angle, Mia. The lighting is sublime.

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on June 15, 2010 at 4:29 PM

Wonderful shot, I really like the low angle that gives you a sense of being in the water, a nice sharp and detailed image, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Satie Sharma on June 17, 2010 at 2:59 PM

Lovely light, low angle and detail, Mia. I wish I had spent more time on these restless birds when I visited FL a few years ago.

Registered on November 11, 2003, 189 Posts, 5335 Comments